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Comfortghan for 3 disabled kids - use up your fun fur and chenille!

Tiga

By Tiga
in Comfortghans

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Tiga Collaborator

Tiga

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Okay, a little background here first -

 

My daughter was born 4 years ago, and shortly after she turned 1 month old, started having seizures. She was also diagnosed with having a muscle condition called hypotonia (low muscle tone). It's not that common, and I was really feeling lost and scared about it, when I found an online community of moms whose kids all had hypotonia.

 

Over the years, they've been a great support for me and learning how to deal with all of Ellie's issues. She's doing great now, in pre-K, walking, talking, singing, dancing and just generally being a 4 year old. The seizures stopped and she's a little slow, but she'll be fine.

 

Well, as life will be, not every member of my little hypotonia family has been as lucky as we have.

 

Three of my friends have children that are, as they say in the lingo, "profoundly" involved. They all have severe brain damage, and will never walk, talk or experience life the way you and I do.

 

With the Christmas holidays coming up, their moms are all getting really sad - it's very hard to buy gifts for 5 year olds that can't do much or express to you what they like.

 

However, my friend Karen's boy, Josh, does seem to like touching different textures. Imi, Jenny's 6 year old girl, also likes textures. Carson, 5, isn't able to touch much, but his therapists and his teachers do like for him to be helped and encouraged to touch as much as possible.

 

So, what I'd like to do for them each is to make an afghan they can lay on that has LOTS of different textures and colors. But, I don't have much yarn that is fuzzy or thick or anything like that. I haven't been crocheting long enough to get that much of a stash :eek !

 

If you all could help out by making 6 inch squares in acrylics (Josh has some severe allergies, and I do want these to be easy-care, as well - each of them are tube fed and that can get messy sometimes), that would be great.

 

Please use yarn that has a unique texture or thickness, like a chenille, or Homespun, an eyelash (you can combine that with a regular worsted weight for ease of crocheting) - whatever funky yarn you have laying around that you aren't sure what to do with. Colors aren't critical, but I'd prefer bright, cheerful, kid-friendly colors, of course. But a big variety of colors will be good for their visual discrimination!

 

I'd like to have a 3'x3' at least floor afghan for each of them, larger if possible, as they are still growing and will use this for years to come.

 

Their mothers will be very touched by this. Right now, they are talking on our group forum about what to buy their kiddos for Christmas, and one mom said she doesn't even want to bother, b/c it makes her so sad.

 

I know we all have a lot of crocheting to do with the holidays coming up, and a lot of us are doing charity work, as well.

 

Please consider these three families for some of your charity work this year.

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Seneca and Scooch Contributor

Seneca and Scooch

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You can count on me. :hug Your request touched my heart. I worked with children that were considered "severe profound" for a few years and each and every child still has a special place in my heart. :manyheart I'll see what I have that is bright and cheery with some texture and if I don't have it, I'll get it. :hug

Please PM me your address.

 

Coralie

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HoustonHeather Newbie

HoustonHeather

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Would you be interested in about 2 dozen different sampler squares? They average 7 to 9 inches square and I made them up in different textured stitches, in shades of cream, black, and gray. I thought DH might be interested in a variously textured afghan but he said no thanks (he is blind, hence the textured stitches). If you're interested, I can either join them and send, or send them as squares. I can also work up some more squares in some Baby Clouds (super-bulky) yarn and Wool-ease thick and quick.

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Tiga Collaborator

Tiga

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I'm sure they'll both be fine, Janet! This is one 'ghan where looks come second to texture, lol! Ugly but touchable is a-okay!

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Nght Contributor

Nght

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The first *non-boring* yarn in my stash that comes to mind is Red Heart Plush, which is an acrylic/nylon blend... but completely machine wash & dryable.... acceptable for your projects? I have a whole bunch in the taupe color that came in a lot that I'd gotten on e-bay. Let me know if this will work & where to send a package, and I'll look and see what else I might have. :)

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Tiga Collaborator

Tiga

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I'm using Red Heart plush for the squares I'm working on right now!

 

I'm making a linked chains square that is striped, using the Plush in a peachy-tan color and RH SS in Carrot.

 

If anyone wants to join in, but doesn't have fuzzy, weird yarn, you can make a textured stitch square with plain old RH SS or the like. I'm going to do a few of those, too, for the contrast. Can't have it ALL be fuzzy and super soft, lol!

 

Oh, this is just so wonderful. I'm so overwhelmed by all the responses, both here and the PMs, and the yarn that some are going to contribute.

 

giant smooshy hugs all around!

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scc51055 Enthusiast

scc51055

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I have gone thru my stash and found a few different textures and will make a 3 of each and send them your way! it may be a bout a week or so....need to get making my ornaments to swap and we have my daughter's wedding in 14 days from today!

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Tiga Collaborator

Tiga

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Thanks, Sherri!

 

I've finished up one square, in carrot orange and apricot. I made it a "linked loops" square - it was really easy and has the coolest texture.

 

I'm now working on an offset bobbles square in RH Ocean. Well, I was, until I realized it was 1:00 am!

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Nikkidear Enthusiast

Nikkidear

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I was just going through my stash for my new yarn closet, and I found a skein of Bright and Lofty in Grape Crush. I bought it some time ago with a few other light and lofty skeins, but I hated working with it. It has a really great texture though. I'd be glad to whip up a few 6" granny squares with my P hook for you. As many as the skein will make. Just pm me with the address to send them to.

 

-Nikki

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Nikkidear Enthusiast

Nikkidear

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I was able to get 6 squares out of that grape colored Bright & Lofty skein. Will get them in the post this week.

 

I just have to say what you are doing is wonderful. You are bringing the Christmas spirit back to 3 people that sound like they could really use it now. :)

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JoBug Proficient

JoBug

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Please PM me, I will work on a couple this weekend at work...shhhh dont tell the boss..hehehehe...I have some PINK RH WW and I am heading out to Hobby Lobby right now and will pick up some eyelash to work with it....

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Tiga Collaborator

Tiga

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Squares from Auntie Bubbels arrived today - two, one in a nice varigated blue and white and one in homespun that is just lovely! They are both sooo soft and they exactly match the size of the ones I've made already!

 

I've got three of my own done in Lion Boucle (which I realized as I was working it has some wool in it, so Josh just won't get one of those in his afghan), and am making some tonight with Patons chunky (can't remember the proper name right now).

 

Everything I'm working on is varigated right now. I got some simply soft in solid colors in the mail, and will make those into popcorn or cluster squares after I'm done with all the easy-peasy granny squares first.

 

That's the nice thing about using super-chunky textured yarn - a plain old granny square is cool to look at and to touch!

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Tiga Collaborator

Tiga

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I can't wait to get them in the mail, JoAnn and Nikki! It's okay if they are a little bigger, Nikki. I'm doing some squares in different sizes and will make some smaller to fill in - going for that mod new look, lol! That, and I've got some huge yarn, too.

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